runs_on_batteries | IC Inbox/ Interactions 2.0

[ He's happy to hear that honestly, that Gladio has someone else there with him. He knows that the Shield has been struggling lately.

Since Ebony is out of the question, he quickly finishes up in the kitchen and moves to the couch. He's been on that walk before so he knows how long it might take.

When he hears the knock, he's up on his feet, moving to answer the door. ]

Tony.

[ He steps aside and gestures from him to come inside and towards the shoe pile near the door. House rule sir. ]

... Is that what I think it is? [ He knows that smell. ]

[He steps in and... He opened his mouth to protest before thinking better of it. He sighed and found a spot to set the cake down to get his boots off.]

I hope so. It's still your favorite, isn't it? You wouldn't know this, but you and I got to know each other for the first time over an oversized plate of your 'mother and child rice bowl'. I thought the name was disgusting, but the flavor was excellent and you'd cooked for an army.

Indeed it is.

[ He shuts the door behind Tony and quietly tracks the man with his ears, following quietly and arms folding across his chest. He exhales a light laugh. ]

Never judge food by the way how it smells.

[ Now that sounds more like him. ]

[He looked at Ignis funny at that remark, but he let it slide. He was more curious about the fact the man was walking so well without a cane. Hmm. That gave him some ideas on how to start his project...]

You're welcome to judge this. I used your recipe, but the replicators are being weird so if it's not perfect, let's blame the machines.

[ Ignis side steps around Tony, having been tracking the other man and makes his way back into the kitchen. ]

If you'd please.

The replicator isn't working here either.

[ He sounds a little defeated over that one. ]

You arrived on this world at a strange time, I'm afraid. It probably isn't the best welcome to have bears attacking you or the chocolate rain.

[Tony set the cake down and stepped aside. He turned around leaning his back against the counter so he could casually chat with his friend (or whatever they were).]

Is it producing anything? When I tried, it kept giving me what I asked plus extra ingredients. Like I'd ask for flour and it gave me flour and three potatoes. Very odd. I can't complain about the chocolate too much. It was coveted on the train, so I have a bucket on our lawn collecting it. I'm quite certain Gladio's horrified by it.

[There was a brief pause and he took a breath to calm his sudden nerves.]

I uh.. the cake's a bribe actually. Or.. more like an apology. Yeah not more like, but literally, an apology.

[ Ignis fishes around in one of the drawers for a knife. ]

It is, it's not giving me what I ask for. Ebony for instance is in there, but it's producing other liquids.

It's normally peaceful here, [ He finds what he needs pretty easily and pulls the knife out, shutting the drawer. ] and safe. These strange occurrences can put people in trouble if you're not careful.

[ He had a feeling that this was it, so he nods, giving Tony a chance to talk for a bit first while he starts on cutting the cake. ]

[He breathed a soft laugh hearing that name. Of course, the ever coveted Ebony. However, he wasn't going to bring a certain someone up again. There was no point. Like Ignis had said before, he wasn't the 'train' Ignis.]

I'll remember to watch my step then. As should you too. How long have you been here?

[ He pauses at that and thinks for a moment, recalling Noct's panic over him leaving due to some strange rumor some months back. But Ignis hadn't disappeared. ]

Four and a half months? That sounds right.

[ It sure hasn't felt like it. ]

Pyra, if you met her, she and I got trapped underneath a pile of snow last month.

[ He's pretty sure that they've met already, considering Pyra's... friendliness. He'll be surprised if they haven't. ]

[Okay, so they were both just going to ignore his apology there. It wasn't Ignis fault to know how rare those were from Tony, so he was ready to move on if the younger man was.]

Hmm. Yes, I have. She's the girl with Noct, isn't she? She's very friendly.

[He'd like to have words with her father, but that was neither here nor there.]

I've noticed how well you're getting along without your cane. I'm glad this isn't holding you back.

You'll get used to her, I'm sure. She's... easy to talk to and I'm happy for her and Noct.

Who else have you met?

[ He sets the knife aside, moving about the kitchen to dig out a few plates for them. ]

Ah, I live here. I'm used to the layout of the house. I still need it if I go out.

[ He smiles a little as he brings back the plates, setting them down. Ignis pulled out a pair of forks earlier, so he sets one on each plate. ]

Help yourself.

[Tony wondered about that pause. He didn't believe that the girl was unfriendly or difficult to talk to, but there was something Ignis wasn't saying about her. It made him curious.]

How long have they been together?

[He had to take a moment to think on that question.]

I've met.. Regis, Era, Pyra and Gladio- obviously, Ardyn, there was one man and woman I didn't get a name and the woman from the cat cafe. Not bad for less than four days.

[He looked at the two sets of plates and silverware being brought out. It was a very Ignis thing to do and made him smile. No matter what differences there were, this was still someone he knew well and cared about.]

Thank you. Go ahead and sit down. I'll serve you.

[ That's a good question, but it's one he hasn't pried into. ]

Longer than I've been here, I get the impression that they've been together for quite a while.

Era's the only one off that list that I haven't spoken to yet. [ He's been meaning to change that cause of the wedding, but now he isn't sure with her wanting to disconnect herself from the family.

Ignis moves to the table as requested, taking a seat. ]

What did you make of her?

[ He folds his hands in his lap for a moment, while he waits on Tony to join him. ]

Thank you.

[He smirked and shook his head.]

Still not big on asking people questions I see.

[It wasn't really a criticism so much as acknowledging a personality quirk that still existed.]

Era? Uh.. she was pretty unhappy about what the gods want us to do here. She said we had skills better suited for other uses, but.. I don't want to come off like I approve of being porn stars for gods, but it could be a whole lot worse.

[He got the cake sliced and on plates. He took a small piece and gave a larger piece to his friend. Carrying it over, he set it down in front of him and took his seat.]

I'm more interested in you than her though.

It's not my business to pry into such matters.

[ Have a bit of a teasing smile coming on. ]

I only ask since Gladio had an... interesting encounter with her. [ An amused look comes on his face. ] Ask him how she hurt him. [ Her tail whipped him in the balls she said.

He picks up his fork, pausing a moment. ]

Certainly, what do you wish to know?

[Tony sighed sadly.]

Yes but you miss so much. You miss getting to know people. You miss finding out where they're from, what they think, what they know. If all you do is talk, the only information you get is your own and you already know that. Trust me, I've learned that the hard way.

[And spent many years wishing he'd gotten to know Peter and the others who disappeared better.]

Take us for instance. I know you. I could write a book about you from your favorite childhood pastime to your greatest fears to exactly how to make you wake your neighbors at night. The last time we talked all you wanted was to tell me about Noct. What the hell was up with that? I'm a stranger that one of your brothers has accepted into his house without a blink of an eye. Isn't there anything you'd like to know about me?

[ If Tony is looking at Ignis' wrist then the mark that was on him is gone. His sleeve falls back a bit, revealing a bit of skin.

Have a confused sigh. ]

I suppose you have a point, but it's the way how I was raised. I tend to observe more than ask, take you for example. When you first entered the cafe, I knew you were a newcomer right away just from your footfalls alone. My hearing has gotten sharper lately.

[ Ardyn had been so difficult for him to accept, particularity since he's the soul reason for their problems back home. Tony, however, may be new, but he's a friend of Gladio's ]

I'm... a bit lost as to what happened there. [ Have a frustrated sigh at himself over that one. ] It hasn't been a pleasant few months on top of that.

Of course I'm curious about you, but we parted on bad terms before I got a chance to ask. I know you know me and how that came to be and what's in store for you back home. [ Other than that, he doesn't know much. ] What's your world like?

[He breathed a soft laugh. He knew that too- at least the part about how Ignis had been raised. The rest he could imagine now that his eyesight was gone, though that didn't make it unimpressive.

He was about to make a joke about only getting the cookie part of an ice cream sandwich when he noticed something. He reached out and caught Ignis' wrist. It wasn't so firm he couldn't pull away but Tony turned it and then brushed his thumb along the skin at his sleeve.]

We'll get back to that question but.. where did that little rainbow that you had on your wrist go?

Pardon?

[ He's a bit confused when Tony grabs his wrist. Give him a moment to think here. ]

Oh.

The bears, [ he murmurs quietly to himself, but loud enough for Tony to hear. ] I wasn't aware of them or what they could do when we first met, I'm aware of them now. If it was a rainbow then that must be the reason why I told you some of the things I did.

[ Have a heavy sigh. ] I suppose I can't escape the truth, for lack of better term, from this world for too long. They had a mistletoe last month that pulled a similar experience, but I got lucky and dodged that one.

My deepest apologies, it sounds like I was effected by this world's strange occurrences and I wasn't aware of it.

Say what? The-

[Oh wait. Someone- no, Pyra- had mentioned imprints. Could that mark have been the imprint she was talking about?]

You think you had a compulsion to tell me that story? Alright, I've heard worse excuses than that.

Well.. my world sounds a lot bigger than yours and we have different animals. Most of the countries in my world don't have kings, though business tycoons can have almost as much power as one might- and I'm one of those. I'm just your average billionaire, philanthropist, former playboy, superhero.

[Ignis would almost be able to hear the grin on Tony's face.]

The bears. You don't have a mark on yourself, do you?

It explains a bit about how our last encounter went.

[ Ignis thinks back to how Tony reacted to Rio joining his lap for a moment. ] Seems like both of our worlds have cats, and I'd assume you already know quite the bit of the animals that are on Eos. Alright, what wouldn't I know about that's from your world?

I don't want to overload you with questions, so let's take this apart bit by bit here.

[Tigers.

The word might as well have been a splash of ice water or a kick in the groin. What was he even doing here? This was a mistake. The loss of the relationship he had felt so fresh in that moment, he could barely breathe.

He took a steadying breath to try and compose himself again.]

There's nothing that important really. Did you try the cake? The one you make is a lot better. You're not the type of cook to leave out an ingredient as a secret are you?

[He knew the answer, but he needed to distance himself from that question. It was stupid. He asked Ignis to ask him questions and then had a bad reaction to the first one asked.]

[ Ah? Did he ask the wrong question here? He's confused a bit, but he lets it go for the moment. He won't push Tony into answering that one then if it brought up awful memories. ]

What about the superhero bit?

[ He hadn't forgotten about the cake, but that does remind him to fetch something later, not now. ]

Indeed I did, but something feels a bit off about it. It's the fault of the replicators, after all.

[ Have a soft laugh at the last question. ]

No, I'm not. [ At least that he's aware of. ] The replicators are doing a good job of that though.

[Tony sighed and shook his head. None of this was Ignis' fault.]

No, it's.. I had a pet name for you is all. It's nothing.

[He knew it wasn't for Ignis either, but maybe not quite as hard.]

Superhero bit.. I was part of a team of individuals with specialized skills to protect our world.

[He frowned and looked down at the plates with the bad version of Ignis' favorite cake.]

You know what, you're right. This isn't working. Do you know how to read braille yet?

[ Oh. It's neither of their faults really, Ignis hadn't known that bit. ]

I see.

You ran into Regis, he gave me a few things on my birthday. A moment.

[ Ignis gets up from his spot and works his way into his room. He grabs the Braille books from atop the dresser then makes his way back out to the table where he'd been sitting. ]

I've been studying it a bit since.

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